March 10, 2013, 11 p.m.
CUP HOPE: Award Season, with Jim Cassidy aboard, wins at Warwick Farm on Saturday. Picture: Jenny Evans
KRIS Lees believes Award Season could be the horse that finally delivers a Newcastle Cup for his family.
Kris's father, the legendary Max Lees, never won a Newcastle Cup during his illustrious training career.
The man who was tagged Mr Newcastle long before his death won group 1 races up and down the eastern seaboard.
But when it came to his home-town cup, Max never made it to the winner's stall.
Kris has already had four horses finish in the minor placings in the Newcastle Cup.
His old favourite County Tyrone was third in 2007 and 2004. He also had Exinite second in 2006 and My Tally runner-up in 2003.
"I grew up with dad saying how great it would be to win our home-town cup," Kris said.
"He never managed to win it and I have had placings, but maybe Award Season could be the horse to do it for us."
Award Season made it four Australian wins by scoring in the 2200-metre handicap at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
The imported galloper was a heavily backed $1.80 favourite and after travelling sweetly in the run scored by a neck.
"In the run I thought he would win a lot easier than what he did," Lees said.
"I think the way others made up ground near the line on him shows he might have had enough this time in.
"He has done a marvellous job in his first Australian preparation.
"I will give him a few days to get over that run, but right now I am thinking about putting him away for the spring.
"A race like the Newcastle Cup could be perfect for him."
■ Newcastle's imported galloper Pirate Bay got a pass mark on his Australian debut when fifth at Warwick Farm.
Pirate Bay missed the start slightly and was well back but continued to make ground in the straight in the 1600m benchmark 87.
"I would rate that run better than Hathras and Award Season when both were beaten at their Australian debuts at Newcastle," Kris Lees said.
"It is obvious he is going to stay, but he may need one more mile run before I step him up in distance."
Lees was happy with Uate (third) and Emotional Circus (fourth) in the 1100m benchmark 95.
"Both Uate and Emotional Circus turned in very good runs," he said.
Lees representative Beaufort Gyre finished seventh as a $2.25 favourite at Toowoomba on Saturday night over 1300m.
■ Puissance De Lune enhanced his claims as the one to beat in the Melbourne Cup this year on Saturday.
He overcame difficulties to storm home to deadheat at Flemington in the 1600m group 2 Blamey Stakes.
But right now, with the Ides of March coming on Friday, do you seriously want to take $6 about him winning on the first Tuesday in November? That skinny quote is what some corporate bookies were offering after Puissance De Lune's ripping return.
■ First it was the French horses invading Australia with success, and now their jockeys are doing the same.
At Newcastle on Saturday 29-year-old Frenchman Thomas Huet rode his first Aussie winner.
Huet, who is based with Gai Waterhouse at Randwick, scored on Mr Monopolize in the 1500m maiden.
Huet has 430 winners in France and came to Australia two months ago.
"I wanted a new challenge, and nothing could be bigger for me than trying to ride a winner in Australia," Huet said in surprisingly good English.
Huet will be back in action locally on Tuesday when he rides at Muswellbrook.
He will partner the Paul Messara-trained Mrs Tropez, which makes her debut in the 1000m maiden.
"I met Paul when he was in England with Ortensia. I told him I was considering coming to Australia and he said, give it a go, and that he would give me a ride. He is true to his word."
■ Punters, do not give up on Newcastle youngster In Cahoots, which weakened in the straight when fifth at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
Punters, do give up on Newcastle mare Southern Girl, which was beaten again as favourite at Broadmeadow.
■ Miracle Malcolm Johnston will be the special guest at the Beauford Club lunch at Broadmeadow.
The lunch is on Tuesday week and is the traditional lead-up to the Newcastle Newmarket the following day.
Johnston has plenty of Newmarket memories to recall for his speech.
In 1976 the former champion jockey won Newcastle's premier autumn sprint on Monakea. In doing so he beat Kelly's Eye and Newcastle's sweetheart mare Swiftly Anne.
Johnston was also saluting to the crowd after being first post the post in the 1986 Newmarket.
But those cheers died down quickly when Shane Dye, who rode John Deamer's Kui Kong, put in a protest and it was upheld.
■ Warwick Farm trainer Guy Walter's run of feature wins could be set to continue.
Walter scored on his home track with Skyerush in the group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) on Saturday.
Now he is looking to his exciting prospect Jacquinot Bay for another big win.
Walter has declared Jacquinot Bay a certain runner in the $125,000 group 3 Newcastle Newmarket (1400m) on Wednesday week.
Jacquinot Bay has won six of only seven starts.
Walter said his rising star had continued to thrive after his first-up win on a bog track at Warwick Farm. That was on February 23 over 1300m.
"I have had the Newmarket as a goal for him since he got back into work," Walter said.
"It does look a great race for a progressive horse like Jacquinot Bay."
Top Sydney trainer Chris Waller is looking at having two runners in the Newmarket.
The Newmarket might also be a clash of two great old-timers. The 10-year-olds The Jackal and Youthful Jack may go around in the Newcastle feature race.
■ Saintly was a champion three-year-old to win the Australian Cup.
Fiveandahalfstar and Super Cool, which fought out the Australian Cup on Saturday, are no Saintly.
But they are going to both make their mark in the best staying races from here on in.
■ If Luke Nolen's instructions were to try to lead all the way in the Newmarket at Flemington on Moment Of Change, he got dud orders.
If Luke decided off his own bat to go to the front after missing the kick then go full bore long before the clock tower, then he slaughtered Moment Of Change.
■ Unbeaten Newcastle galloper Senta De Noche won a big recommendation after his win at Canterbury on Friday.
Senta De Noche won the Irish Echo over 1100m as the even-money favourite .
"He is definitely one of the fastest horses I have ever trained," trainer Kris Lees said. "The way he is going he may make the big step to a stakes race before long."
■ Newcastle jockey Craig Dwyer had his followers laughing all the way to the bank on Saturday.
Dwyer scored a long-priced double at Broadmeadow.
He won on Dubai Dusk for his father and in the next race scored on the Paul Perry-trained Stratai.
Both were $26 chances.
■ Melbourne Cup placegetter Jakkalberry overcame a ridiculously slow pace to win in Dubai early Sunday morning our time.
Jakkalberry won the Dubai Gold after sitting near the pace all the way.
"That is the slowest first quarter I have ever called," broadcaster Terry Spargo said during the run.
Hard to think whether Dubai racegoers know or care about sectional times. It was Jakkalberry's first run since finishing third to Green Moon in the Melbourne Cup.
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